212 



Conservation Department 



July 15 in one small stream, Tannery creek, which flows out of 

 Lake Neatahwanta. This cold sluggish creek had beds of the 

 pondweed, Potamogeton pectinatus growing along its border upon 



Seine laid out at New London 



which plant the carp eggs were attached. In the canal all eggs 

 were found adhering to P. pectinatus or Vallisneria growing along 

 the edge of the channel in water six inches to three feet deep. In 

 Oneida lake the eggs were found on the same kinds of plants- with 

 one exception. At Damon's point a school of carp were observed 

 spawning on filamentous algae which grew on rocks in six inches 

 to two feet of water. 



During the breeding season carp show practically no fear and 

 their characteristic splashing make them very conspicuous. On 

 June 28 there were about 1,000 carp spawning in the shallows 

 between Damon's point and Fisher's bay, a distance of perhaps two 

 miles. In the canal we saw only scattered groups of spawning 

 carp, no schools numbering over 50 individuals. A spawning 

 female flounders about here and there in shallow water closely 

 followed by three or four males. The actual depositing of eggs 

 seems to occur at times when tlie female breaks the surface of the 

 water over a bed of pondweed. This is followed immediately by 

 a great splashing of the males over tlie place, which scatters the 

 eggs and covers them with milt. The eggs deposited during one 

 such operation covers an area six feet in diameter and they are 

 attached to the fronds, stem and even the bottom. The number of 

 eggs laid at one time are from 500 to 7'00 and during the spawning 

 period each fenuile will dej^osit several such lots of eggs. These 

 are grajdsh-white in color and about the size of a radish seed 

 (2 mm. in diameter). 



The breeding period is interrui)ted by short periods of activity 

 followed by a long interval of quiescense. The operations con- 



